Meat Success

Chop Local

Are you a farmer or butcher ready to master direct-to-consumer marketing and “Meat Success”? Then you're in the right place! From the team responsible for the ChopLocal meat marketplace, each episode of this podcast features interviews with farmers and butchers who have built successful direct-to-consumer meat businesses. And they’re going to share their secrets for success with you! From actionable tips to inspiring stories, this podcast has the ingredients you need to succeed in the meat business! After the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social and check out the rest of our educational resources at ChopLocalUniversity.com.

  1. 2D AGO

    Regeneration Through Technology: A Conversation with Tom Richards, Founder of HarvestPath

    In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, sits down with Tom Richards to learn more about his regenerative ranch in California and his efforts with HarvestPath. Tom discusses his family’s long history in agriculture and their journey into selling beef direct to consumers. Additionally, Tom dives deeper into HarvestPath, a software solution he developed to solve data management challenges in ranching. This comprehensive tool aids farmers, ranchers, and processors across the country in managing animal records, production costs, and customer relationships. The software, built on the Salesforce platform, offers modules for tracking animals, managing the production process, and handling customer relations and sales. Tom also highlights how the tool can assist with planning, loan applications, and operational scaling, aiming to support the alternative meat supply chain for greater success. Make sure to sign up for the Spring Webinar Series, where we are sharing strategies on how to better sell your meat! Learn more here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/blog/2025-meat-marketing-webinars And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    36 min

  2. FEB 5

    Rachel Jantzi's Path to Regenerative Agriculture in British Columbia

    Episode 33 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, interviews Rachel Jantzi, a farmer from northeastern British Columbia. Rachel shares her journey from being a conventional and organic farmer to starting her own regenerative farm called Grazing Patch Farm. She discusses her current farm operation, which includes laying hens, meat birds, sheep, and pigs, and the logistics and challenges of raising these animals. Rachel outlines her diverse background, including carpentry, plumbing, working on large organic farms, and building robots, and how these experiences have helped her in farming. She details her meticulous planning and financial strategies, including the importance of accurate cost calculations and making use of online and community marketing to grow her customer base. Rachel emphasizes the importance of transparency and authenticity in marketing and shares tips on setting up an efficient system for online sales and customer engagement. Her story serves as an inspiration and a practical guide for aspiring regenerative farmers. Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    47 min

  3. JAN 29

    Office Hours Special: Maximizing Customer Value in 2026

    Episode 32 | In this special episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, presents key insights and data from the 2025 CHOP Local marketplace. The episode explores various metrics such as average order size and customer lifetime value, offering actionable strategies to increase repeat customer rates. Listeners will gain tips on enhancing customer satisfaction through personalized touches, effective post-order communication, and strategic email marketing. Katie also discusses the importance of shipping orders, leveraging social media, and preparing for upcoming marketing opportunities, including the Super Bowl and Valentine's Day. This data-driven episode aims to help vendors optimize their business strategies for increased sales and customer retention in 2026. Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 00:00 Introduction to the Meat Success Podcast00:14 Overview of Monthly Office Hours00:37 2025 Data Insights and Analysis02:53 Understanding Customer Metrics09:37 Strategies to Increase Repeat Customer Rate13:36 Shipping vs. Pickup Orders15:00 Characteristics of High-Performing Vendors19:47 Marketing Ideas for Upcoming Events21:49 Seasonal Promotions and Future Planning And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    26 min

  4. JAN 22

    How to Price and Sell Your Meat Online Direct to Consumer

    Episode 31 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, prepares to speak at the Annual Grassworks Conference about effective e-commerce strategies for direct-to-consumer farms. She shares insights from her presentation, which includes results from a national survey on online meat sales. Katie discusses the pros and cons of selling meat by exact weight versus using weight ranges, emphasizing that the latter can reduce customer uncertainty and increase sales. She also provides practical tips for farmers on managing inventory and selecting the right e-commerce platform. Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 00:00 Welcome to the Meat Success Podcast00:12 Preparing for the Annual Grassworks Conference00:40 Insights from the National Ag Marketing Summit02:06 The Concept of Selling Meat by Exact Weight02:28 Personal Meat Buying Experiences04:15 Challenges with Exact Weight Pricing05:17 The Shift to Weight Variations09:17 Implementing Weight Variations in Practice11:35 Customer Reactions and Best Practices13:49 Conclusion and Call to Action And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    17 min

  5. JAN 15

    The Power of Storytelling with Jeff Charlton, 3C Joppa Cattle Company

    Episode 30 | In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff discusses with Jeff Charlton, also known as the Chief Beef Slinger at 3C Joppa Ranch, his journey from corporate sales to managing a direct-to-consumer beef business. Jeff shares his background, entering the cattle industry through his wife's family ranch, and evolving the traditional cattle ranch into a modern operation optimized with technology. He delves into the importance of authenticity in marketing, evidenced by his use of selfie videos and AI tools for content creation. Jeff highlights the significance of partnerships and email marketing in growing his consumer base and offers advice on overcoming the challenges of shipping and marketing. Katie and Jeff also discuss the role of efficient systems and KPIs in tracking business success, emphasizing the balance between personal involvement and leveraging professional assistance. Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 00:00 Welcome to the Meat Success Podcast01:08 Introducing Jeff Charlton: Chief Beef Slinger02:07 Jeff's Journey into the Beef Business05:31 Transitioning to Direct-to-Consumer Beef Sales11:38 The Role of Authenticity and AI in Marketing22:46 Custom Marketing GPT: A Game Changer24:12 Efficiency and Core Values24:21 Limitations of Chat GPT in Cattle Production26:10 Influencer Partnerships and Sales Strategies30:00 Monetizing Email Lists and Ad Strategies37:06 Challenges in Shipping and Social Media38:49 Final Advice for Farmers and Ranchers And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    44 min

  6. JAN 8

    Meat Marketing Trends You Need to be Using in 2026

    Episode 29 | In the first episode of 2026, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, and Sierra Long, the marketing specialist at Chop Local, discuss marketing strategies and trends for the year. They emphasize the importance of authenticity on social media, especially behind-the-scenes content and showcasing real people. The discussion also touches on the cautious use of AI in marketing, highlighting its utility for text but noting the current flaws in AI-generated images and graphics. Katie and Sierra also talk about the ongoing significance of customer service, from personalized messages to well-packaged shipments. They strongly advocate for email marketing over social media for better conversion rates and emphasize the effectiveness of targeted meta and Google ads for scaling meat businesses. The conversation wraps up with a reminder about the USDA's Value-Added Producer Grant. Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 00:30 Holiday Recap and Marketing Plans02:04 Authenticity in Social Media04:49 AI in Marketing: Pros and Cons13:59 The Importance of Protein and Meat Benefits24:40 Customer Service Excellence30:39 The Power of Email Marketing37:14 Scaling with Meta and Google Ads43:49 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    47 min

  7. 12/18/2025

    Profit-Driven Promotions: Mastering Meat Marketing for Direct to Consumer Businesses

    Grab our mEat-Commerce Essentials to start making money in your direct-to-consumer business today with $100 off the course with code: POD100 Snag Access Here: https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/meat-commerce-essentials-1 In this episode of the Meat Success podcast, Katie Olthoff, co-founder of Chop Local and Chop Local University, shares her expertise on executing effective sales and promotions for meat businesses. Katie discusses the importance of promotions in attracting budget-conscious consumers, managing inventory, and increasing sales. She offers insights into different types of promotions, strategic discounting, and the psychology of numbers. Katie emphasizes the need for clear communication of sales and promotions and the importance of creating a sense of urgency to drive customer action. Drawing from her experience, she also highlights how to leverage email marketing, social media, and meta ads to maximize the impact of these promotions. 00:00 Welcome to Meet Success Podcast01:21 Introduction to Sales and Promotions01:59 Why Sales and Promotions Matter04:23 Strategies for Effective Sales and Promotions14:52 Communicating Your Sales and Promotions18:00 Creating Urgency with End Dates20:29 Conclusion and Consulting Services And learn more about ChopLocal and ChopLocal University Below! https://choplocal.com/https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/

    23 min

  8. 12/11/2025

    Email Marketing for D2C Livestock Farmers, Ranchers, and Butcher Shops

    Episode 27 | This is a webinar replay brought to you by ChopLocal University. Email marketing is arguably the most effective marketing strategy that you can be using for your meat business - and it doesn't have to be scary! In this free webinar, we'll uncover the secrets to successful email marketing. You'll learn: - effective email design - how to get people to WANT to sign up for your list - best practices to maximize your email marketing efforts Whether you're just getting started with email marketing, or you've been at it a while and it's not performing as well as you'd like, this webinar will provide tips and tricks that are useful for email marketers at any level. This free webinar is taught by ChopLocal's Katie Olthoff, a farmer and former teacher with over 10 years of experience using email marketing in food and agriculture. -- For more FREE resources to help you sell more meat: - Visit https://www.choplocaluniversity.com/ - Subscribe to our email newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/choplocal/choplocal-university - Follow us @ ChopLocal University on Facebook and/or Instagram -Catch the course mentioned in this episode here: http://choplocaluniversity.com/email-marketing

    41 min
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5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Are you a farmer or butcher ready to master direct-to-consumer marketing and “Meat Success”? Then you're in the right place! From the team responsible for the ChopLocal meat marketplace, each episode of this podcast features interviews with farmers and butchers who have built successful direct-to-consumer meat businesses. And they’re going to share their secrets for success with you! From actionable tips to inspiring stories, this podcast has the ingredients you need to succeed in the meat business! After the show, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, follow us on social and check out the rest of our educational resources at ChopLocalUniversity.com.

Information

  • Creator
    Chop Local
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    34
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Chop Local
  • Show Website
    Meat Success

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